Repentance is ultimately the goal that we all seek. All sane people are conscious of their numerous sins, and those who believe in Allaah and His Messenger sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) recognize that they will be held accountable for their sins, and therefore desire to be free of the evil consequences of their misdeeds. Islam offers man the ideal way by which he may be released from the burden of his sins.

The word Tawbah (repentance) in Arabic literally means 'to return'. In an Islamic context, it refers to the act of leaving what Allaah has prohibited and returning to what He, Almighty, has commanded.

The subject of repentance is one that concerns all people who believe in Allaah, and is vital for the Muslims to understand because our salvation in the Hereafter depends on our repentance to Allaah, as Allaah commands (what means): "…And turn to Allaah in repentance, all of you, that you might succeed." [Quran 24:31]

Allaah also Says (what means): "…Indeed, Allaah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.” [Quran 2:222]

One may have a real intention to repent, but there may be some obstacles to the path of repentance. If this is the case, then he needs to act without hesitation and remove those obstacles to clear the way to a happy soul.

The postponement of repentance may be the result of either a deliberate desire to prolong the illicit pleasure derived from the sin, or doubt on the part of an ignorant sinner whether or not Allaah would accept his repentance.

However, we have to be certain that Allaah will guide us to success and safeguard us against our malice. We also must be confident that Allaah forgives our sins and that He, and only He, can judge us. It is only His Judgement that is worthy of our worry and anxiety. So we should fear Him only because sincere repentance removes all sins and disobedience.

The door of repentance is always open, until...

The door to repentance is always open and will not be closed in the face of any repentant person, regardless of his sins. Expect this gate to have two locks: death and the approach of the Day of Judgement. The first was mentioned in the Hadeeth: "Allaah accepts a slave's repentance unless his death approaches." [At-Tirmithi]

The other was mentioned in the Hadeeth: "Whosoever turns to Allaah in repentance before the sun rises in the West, Allaah will forgive him." [Ahmad]

Allaah Says in the Quran what means: "But repentance is not [accepted] of those who [continue to] do evil deeds up until, when death comes to one of them, he says: ‘Indeed, I have repented now,' or of those who die while they are disbelievers...” [Quran 4:18]

O heedless soul! Hasten to repent before the knock of death sounds and the time of repentance runs out. Do not get caught dying in a state of disobedience to your Most Merciful Lord. Satan gives you long hope and empty promises; he delays your repentance until your heart becomes as callous as a rock by being adamant in sin and disobedience, and you would therefore meet your Lord in a wretched state. If the door of repentance is closed to you, it will never open to you again.

Repentance is ultimately the goal that we all seek. All sane people are conscious of their numerous sins, and those who believe in Allaah and His Messenger sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) recognize that they will be held accountable for their sins, and therefore desire to be free of the evil consequences of their misdeeds. Islam offers man the ideal way by which he may be released from the burden of his sins.

The word Tawbah (repentance) in Arabic literally means 'to return'. In an Islamic context, it refers to the act of leaving what Allaah has prohibited and returning to what He, Almighty, has commanded.

The subject of repentance is one that concerns all people who believe in Allaah, and is vital for the Muslims to understand because our salvation in the Hereafter depends on our repentance to Allaah, as Allaah commands (what means): "…And turn to Allaah in repentance, all of you, that you might succeed."

Allaah also Says (what means): "…Indeed, Allaah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.” [Quran 2:222]

One may have a real intention to repent, but there may be some obstacles to the path of repentance. If this is the case, then he needs to act without hesitation and remove those obstacles to clear the way to a happy soul.

The postponement of repentance may be the result of either a deliberate desire to prolong the illicit pleasure derived from the sin, or doubt on the part of an ignorant sinner whether or not Allaah would accept his repentance.

However, we have to be certain that Allaah will guide us to success and safeguard us against our malice. We also must be confident that Allaah forgives our sins and that He, and only He, can judge us. It is only His Judgement that is worthy of our worry and anxiety. So we should fear Him only because sincere repentance removes all sins and disobedience.

The door of repentance is always open, until...

The door to repentance is always open and will not be closed in the face of any repentant person, regardless of his sins. Expect this gate to have two locks: death and the approach of the Day of Judgement. The first was mentioned in the Hadeeth: "Allaah accepts a slave's repentance unless his death approaches." [At-Tirmithi]

The other was mentioned in the Hadeeth: "Whosoever turns to Allaah in repentance before the sun rises in the West, Allaah will forgive him." [Ahmad]

Allaah Says in the Quran what means: "But repentance is not [accepted] of those who [continue to] do evil deeds up until, when death comes to one of them, he says: ‘Indeed, I have repented now,' or of those who die while they are disbelievers...” [Quran 4:18]

O heedless soul! Hasten to repent before the knock of death sounds and the time of repentance runs out. Do not get caught dying in a state of disobedience to your Most Merciful Lord. Satan gives you long hope and empty promises; he delays your repentance until your heart becomes as callous as a rock by being adamant in sin and disobedience, and you would therefore meet your Lord in a wretched state. If the door of repentance is closed to you, it will never open to you again.

What keeps us from repenting?

1. Taking sins lightly:

The problem with many of us today is that we do not fear Allaah, which means that we do not think seriously about disobeying Him and therefore fall into sin, without giving any real thought to it. Hence, we should think about the statement which Ibn Mas'ood may Allaah be pleased with him made: "A believer sees his sins as if he were sitting under a mountain which he is afraid may collapse on him, whereas the wicked person considers his sins as flies passing over his nose which he just drives away like this (and he waved his hand across his face to illustrate this)."[Al-Bukhaari]

The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "Take caution against minor sins, because such sins are like a group of people who temporarily settled in the middle of a valley. Then, they decided to make a fire, so each one of them brought a stick until they were able to make it, so they baked their bread. Thus, minor sins (when they accumulate) may destroy the one who commits them." [Ahmad]

2. "What is the point? I will only end up doing it again"

Such an approach is the result of a misunderstanding. Indeed, one of the conditions of repentance is having a real intention not to return to the same sin. This, however, does not mean that Satan will never tempt you to commit the same sin again. Thus, if you have failed yourself, and you returned to the same sin, it does not mean that your first repentance was a lie. You should hasten to make additional repentance, with a real intention not to return to this sin, keeping in mind that Allaah's mercy extends over everything.

3. "Allaah is forgiving, so let me sin"

When reminded of repentance and the hideousness of disobedience, some people would respond that Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. An atheist once said in sarcasm: "You should commit as many sins as you can because you are heading towards the Lord who is Most-Generous." There is no doubt that such a view is complete ignorance of the religion of Allaah, because Allaah's mercy is close to the righteous and not to the wrongdoers.

4. "I am destined to be a sinner"

Some people may choose to blame Al-Qadr (fate) for their sins. For example, if you ask any of them, "Why do you not perform the Prayers? Why do you not fast? Why do you drink or smoke? Why do you not repent from your disobedience?" They would respond by saying: "This is Allaah's Qadr" or: "I am doomed to do this." This is definitely a grave misconception and an evasion of the truth. Believing in Al-Qadr does not mean that one is destined to commit sins. It is true that Allaah has written all human beings' deeds, good or bad, and only He knows the unseen, but the believer is not forced to perform a good deed, nor is he forced to commit any disobedience. Instead, he has been granted the ability to reflect, reason and then make a decision freely. Al-Qadr is only responsible for the calamities and blessings that an individual may confront because he can do nothing about them. For example, if a couple were to marry and have three children, then this is their Qadr. It is impermissible to fault Al-Qadr for our sins and disobedience because doing so is akin to being in confrontation and showing dissatisfaction with Allaah.

Repentance wipes out all sins, major and minor:

Being confused, some people may think that repentance is only required for major sins. It should be noted that repentance from all sins is obligatory.
Even the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) who was sinless, asked Allaah to forgive him on a daily basis. The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is reported to have said: "O people! Make repentance to Allaah. I swear by Allaah that I make repentance to Him more than seventy times every day." [Al-Bukhaari]

Therefore, we all need to fear Allaah, ask His forgiveness and be aware that there is no sin that is minor with persistence, and no major sin with seeking Allaah's forgiveness (i.e. if the minor sin is repeated many times it becomes a major one.) Thus, sincere repentance wipes out all committed sins.

Never despair!

Someone might say: "I want to repent but my sins are too many." But Allaah Says what means: "Say: 'O my slaves who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allaah. Indeed, Allaah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful." [Quran 39:53]

Therefore, we should never lose hope or stop asking for Allaah's forgiveness. Its importance is shown to us in the Hadeeth in which the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "O people! Turn to Allaah in repentance and seek His forgiveness, for I make repentance to Him a hundred times every day." [Muslim]

Repentance is such a great act of worship that doing it can erase all our sins altogether, as the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "One who repents from sin is like one without sin." [Ibn Maajah]

Source: www.islamweb.net

Shaykh ul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

The punishment for a sin committed by a believer is removed in ten ways:

   1. He repents to Allah (taubah), so Allah accepts his repentance, for the one who repents from sin is like the one who has no sin.

   2. He seeks forgiveness from Allah (istighfar), so Allah forgives him.

   3. He does good deeds that erase his sin for good deeds erase bad ones.

   4. His believing brethren pray for him or seek forgiveness for his sins during his life or death.

   5. Or they [ask Allah] to bestow on him as gift from the reward for their deeds, with which Allah benefits him.

   6. His Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, intercedes for him.

   7. Allah tests him with trials in this world which expiate his sin.

   8. Allah tests him in al-Barzakh (the intermediate life in the grave, between the death and the Day of Judgment) which expiates his sin.

   9. Allah tests him in the various stages of the Day of Judgment which expiates his sins.

  10. Or the Most Merciful of those who have mercy has mercy on him.

Whoever, then, is missed by these ten cannot blame anyone but himself.

Source: www.islaam.com

It’s interesting how we correct our mistakes while scribing with different tools of writing. What’s even more interesting are the different ways we employ to correct our mistakes.

For instance:

• Some of us would simply strike out the mistake and continue with writing.
• Some would use the correction pen and rewrite over it.
• Some would tear off the whole page and rewrite the whole thing from the beginning.

This perhaps to some extent tells us about the way we correct the mistakes we make in our lives.

There is no doubt that man by his nature is compelled to correct himself and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. What is fascinating is the way one adopts to do it. 

Those among us who would simply strike off a mistake leaving it noticeable for others to see it clearly are perhaps those who believe ‘to err is human.’

Although, some would cover up their mistake with the ink of the pen so much so that nothing can be seen or understood from it except the knowledge that there was a mistake. What was it will remain a mystery.

Those who use the correction pen are one step ahead and are more organized i.e. their mistakes should not be seen while their correction should be clearly seen.

The strangest of all are those who would tear off the whole page on realizing that somewhere while writing they made a single mistake.

Now, if life were to be substituted with paper and our actions were words written on it then which type of a person will we prefer to be?

Without a doubt, we won’t want others to know the mistakes we’ve made. The words that Islam has stipulated to seek forgiveness certainly make sense about this nature. We say ‘Astaghfirullah’ (I seek Allah’s forgiveness) when we commit a mistake. The word ‘Ghafara’ linguistically means ‘to cover’ and by saying “Astaghfirullah” we’re asking Allah to cover up our sins!

Seek Allah’s Forgiveness, for when Allah covers up none can expose it!

Source: Received as an email.

Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyyah

The state of repentance, tawbah, is at the beginning, the middle and the end of all states of submission to the will of Allah. The servant who seeks the pleasure of Allah never abandons tawbah. He remains in the state of tawbah until his death. Whatever his state of belief, the servant makes tawbah his constant companion. Thus, tawbah is at the beginning and at the end of his servitude to his Creator. His need for tawbah at the end, just as at the beginning, overrides, and supersedes all other needs. Allah says:

"And turn to Allah altogether (make tawbah), O you who believe so that you may succeed," (24:31)

The verse above is contained within a Madinan Surah (revealed after the migration to Madinah), in which Allah addresses the people of emaan, who are the best of His creation. He calls upon them to make tawbah "turn in repentance" to Him after they had already believed, gone through hardships, trials of faith, executed patience, migrated and performed jihad. Allah then made success conditional on perfecting such tawbah, as the effect is often conditional on the cause. No one can hope for success, except: those who make tawbah. Allah says:

"And those who do not make tawbah are indeed the dhaalimoon (wrongdoers)." (49:11)

Allah divides His servants into two categories only: the repentant and the wrongdoers. There is no third category. Allah calls those who do not make tawbah, "dhaalimoon" (wrongdoers and transgressors) and no one is more of a wrongdoer and a transgressor than a person who does not repent for his evil actions. This state is a result of a person's ignorance of his Lord and the rights due to Him, as well as, his own defects and the evil of his deeds. The Prophet, sallallahu alayeh wa sallam, is reported to have said: "O people, make tawbah to Allah. By Allah, I make tawbah to Him more than seventy times each day." (Bukhari)

His companions used to count for him in each congregation his saying one hundred times: "My Lord, forgive me and accept my repentance, for You are At-Tawwab (the One who accept repentance), Al-Ghafoor (The Oft Forgiving)." The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, is also reported to have said: "No one will be rescued (on the Day of Judgment) by his deeds. They (his companions) asked even you Messenger of Allah? He said, even me, unless Allah would grant me His mercy and Grace."

May Allah's blessings and peace be upon His Messenger, the most knowledgeable among His creation of Him, His Rights, His Greatness and what servitude He deserves. He is the most knowledgeable of servitude and its requirements and the most committed in servitude to Allah.

The Starter (Fatihah) of Tawbah

Tawbah is the return of the servant to Allah. It is also his turning away from the path of those with whom Allah is angry and those who are astray. This returning cannot be done except by Allah's guidance to the Straight Path. The servant will not attain guidance except through Allah's help and the servant's submithrough tawheed. Suratul-Fatihah explains this concept in the most complete and eloquent manner.

Whoever appreciates Surat-ul-Fatihah and gives it is right estimate, through knowledge, contemplation upon its facts and by living its directives, will realise that one cannot recite it, with the true recitation of a servant, unless one makes sincere tawbah. The perfect guidance to the Straight Path cannot be attained with the indifference to sins or the persistence on sins. Indifference to sins negates the knowledge of guidance. Persistent sinning negates the intention and the will of the servant. Thus, tawbah will not be valid except after one recognises the sins, admits to them and seeks to rid oneself of their evil consequences.

Seeking Refuge from Sin

The first aspect of tawbah, then, is to see how one was taken away from seeking the pleasure of Allah, by committing sins. Next, one has to recognize that Allah didn't safeguard him from sin. One should also ponder how happy one was while sinning and being persistent on the sin, while knowing with surety that Allah ever watches over whatever is done in the heavens or on the earth. If the servant had sought refuge in Allah, he would not have gone away from the guidance of obedience,

"And whoever holds firmly to Allah, then he is indeed guided to a Right Path." (3:101)

If one's holding onto Allah is firm, one would never be forsaken by Allah,

"And hold firmly to Allah, He is your Mawlaa (Protector) and what an excellent Mawlaa and what an excellent Naseer (Helper)." (22:78)

In other words, whenever we hold firm to Him, He will become our Protector and He will support us against our nafs (inclinations) and the Shaytan. These two enemies, the nafs and Satan, are the ones that do not leave the servant for even a moment. Their enmity is more harmful to the servant than the enemies from without. Attaining victory over such enemies is more difficult, and the servant's need for such a victory is far more important. The degree of help rendered to defeat these enemies is dependent upon the degree of our dependence and holding onto Allah. If we do not hold firmly to Allah, we will go away from Allah's protection. This is indeed the true loss. Allah could have aided us in staying away from sins, however, because we deserted Him, we were allowed to listen to any obey our nafs. If He wished to protect us, the sin would not have found a way to get to us.

When the servant becomes heedless of the consequences of sin, he finds pleasure when he satisfies unlawful desires. This pleasure in disobedience is evidence of his ignorance of the Greatness of the One of disobeys, and his ignorance of the evil consequences of sins and evil actions. His pleasure with sin has concealed all of this from his sight. In fact, his pleasure with sin is more harmful to him than perpetrating the sin itself. The believer can never have any pleasure from sin. He cannot have complete satisfaction with it. On the contrary, he would not even pursue it, except with grief in his heart. But the intoxication of the desires obscures one from feeling this remorse. When the heart becomes empty from such grief and one is happy with sin, then one should question his faith and weep for the death of his heart. If one were alive, he would be sad for the perpetration of any sin, big or small. The evil effects of sin, more times than not, go unnoticed in us and in our brothers and sisters in Islam. Diligences in constant self-evaluation is necessary in leading us away from sin and its destructive ends. One can do this by focusing on the following.

1. The fear of dying before making tawbah.

2. Remorse about the good that was missed because of the disobedience of Allah.

3. Working seriously on regaining what has been missed.

If one becomes completely heedless then one becomes persistent, which means constant disobedience with the intention to perform the sin again and again. This by itself is another sin that could be far greater than the first. Part of the punishment for sin is that it leads to a greater sin, then another, and so on until it completely and certainly destroys the person if he does not repent.

Persistence on sin is another sin. Not attempting to rectify the sin means persistence on it and satisfaction with it. This is the sign of ruin. Worse than all of that, is the commission of sin in public when we are sure that Allah watches and sees everything from above His Throne. If we believe that Allah watches us, yet we proceed to commit sins publicly, this is a great contradiction. But if we don't believe that He watches us, then we are completely out of the realm of Islam.

There are two considerations for a sinner: lack of embarrassment from Allah knowing that Allah's sight watches over all, and lack of fear to go out of the deen. Therefore, one of the conditions of the acceptance of tawbah is that a person should firmly believe that Allah was watching and that He will always watch over him. He sees everything during the perpetration of sins.

The reality of tawbah is to return to Allah is not sound or complete without the knowledge of the Lord's names and attributes and their manifestations within Himself and in the world. The repenting servant should know that he was running away from his Lord, captured in the grip of his enemy. He didn't fall into the claws of his enemy except as a result of his ignorance of his Lord and his daring to go against Him. He should know how and when he became ignorant, and how and when he was captured. He should believe that tawbah requires great determination and complete awareness to rescue himself from the enemy and be able to return and run back, to his Lord Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim. He should realise that returning to his Lord is actually turning away from the road of destruction, where his enemy had taken him. He should know the number of steps taken away from his Lord and the efforts and obstacles that he must strongly work on to get back to the Straight Path.

Source: www.islamicawakening.com

Harun Yahya

Occasionally a person faces various physical and spiritual sorrows and troubles in the world. Amongst these are feelings so intense that they cannot be compared with any other physical pain. This feeling that causes such great distress in the human soul is a feeling called "regret."

There are two completely different forms of regret, however. The regret felt by people of faith and the regret that non-believers experience. These two feelings are extremely different from one another.

Believers are the people who have an absolute faith in the fact that events take place by Allah's Will, and whatever befalls them does so by Allah's Will. This explains their all-important distinctive attribute of putting their unyielding trust in Allah, at good times, in trouble or when they make a mistake. The Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) pointed out the strong character of the believer with a comparison in the hadith below:

The similitude of a believer is that of a standing crop in a field which is shaken by wind and then it comes to its original position but it stands at its roots. [Muslim]

Upon making a mistake, a believer immediately repents with sincerity and hopes for Allah's forgiveness. As a result, he does not suffer from a distressful and long-lived feeling of regret. The regret felt by believers urges them to ask for repentance, to purify themselves and prevents them from repeating this error. It helps them rectify their errors and prevents them from plunging into a distressful and pessimistic mood. Moreover, this regret does not reduce their enthusiasm, devotion, or religious zeal nor does it drag them downward into a spiral of apprehension and depression.

Regret felt by disbelievers, on the other hand, is very distressing and long-lasting, as they do not put their trust in Allah when they encounter a difficulty or commit a transgression. Throughout their lives, they often use phrases like "I wish I had not done this..." "I wish I had never said this...," and so on.

More importantly, they are subject to a much greater regret in the Hereafter. Those who lived a life apart from the religion (deen) in this world will regret every misguided moment of their lives. They were warned before and invited to the straight path. They had enough time to contemplate and embrace the right way. Yet they did not listen when they were warned, ignoring the Hereafter as if they would never die. Then in the Hereafter, they will have no chance to get back to this world and correct their errors. In the Qur'an, Allah relates their regretful expressions as follows:

We have warned you of an imminent punishment on the Day when a man will see what he has done, and the disbeliever will say, "Oh, if only I were dust!"[Surah an-Naba': 40]

If only you could see when they are standing before the Fire and saying,

"Oh! If only we could be sent back again, we would not deny the Signs of our Lord and we would be among the believers." [Surah al-An'am: 27]

They will say, "If only we had really listened and used our intellect, we would not have been Companions of the Blaze."[Surah al-Mulk: 10]

I wish to warn people against a day when they will regret saying "had we only understood...," "had we only not rejected the signs of our Lord...," "had we only followed those who brought us the message...," "had we only done this and that" etc and to invite them to live for Allah while they still have the chance to correct their wrongs.

Keep in mind that day no one's regret will save him from Allah's wrath. The only way to avoid this regret is to submit to Allah while there is still time and to comply with the commands of Allah.

Respond to your Lord before a Day comes from Allah which cannot be turned back. On that Day you will have no hiding-place and no means of denial. [Surah ash-Shura: 47]

Source: http://www.geocities.com/mutmainaa

By Sheikh Ahmad Kutty

It is never too late for a true Muslim to repent to Allah, and to shed tears for the wrong doing he has committed, keeping in mind that if one manages to escape the punishment of mortals, he will not for sure escape the punishment of Allah in the Hereafter. So, it is better to start a new leaf and let bygones be bygones. As long as you are sincere in your repentance, Allah Almighty will accept your Repentance and forgive you your sins.

If you committed evil but have repented sincerely, and changed your life around for better, then Allah has certainly promised to grant you mercy and forgiveness. It is one of the basic principles of belief in Islam that Allah is All-Relenting, All-Forgiving and All-Merciful.

Here are a few verses which clearly convey this crucial concept:

Do they not know that it is Allah Who accepts the repentance of His servants and receives (approves) their charity, and that Allah is the Relenting, the Compassionate? (At-Tawbah 9: 104)

Say: ‘O My servants who wronged against their souls, do not despair of Allah’s mercy! For Allah forgives all sins; for He is indeed Forgiving, Compassionate. (Az-Zumar 39: 53)

So do not put off repentance; take the necessary steps immediately, for no one can tell when the death will overtake us. The door of repentance is open so long as we are not in the throes of death, for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Allah accepts the repentance of His servant so long as death has not reached his collar bone.” But since we have no way of knowing when death will overtake us, we must never be complacent or slack in hastening to taking steps towards repentance.

While speaking of repentance, we must rush to add, that it cannot be considered as valid unless one takes the following steps:

1. One must feel deep remorse for the sins one has committed.
   
   
2. One must refrain from it totally while also abstaining from all those leads or circumstances that led him to such a sin in the first place.
   
   
3. He must be firmly resolved never to sin again, and immediately becoming occupied in whatever good deeds that he can in order to wipe out his past sins.
   
   
4. All of the above involve sins involving the rights of Allah; if, however, your sins involve the rights of human beings, then you must also do whatever it takes to return or compensate or redress the grievances of the person you have wronged. Paying him his dues or compensating him in whatever ways possible becomes an essential condition of valid repentance.

Repentance, as stated above once accomplished, will undoubtedly wipe out one’s sins, and guarantee him a clean record. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “One who has repented of a sin (sincerely) is like one who has never sinned at all.” sinned at all.”

In conclusion, after sinning, one should not feel despair. Rather one should forward sincere repentance to Allah and rest assured that Allah Almighty will forgive his sin, as long as his repentance meets the abovementioned conditions of sincerity. Moreover, you must learn how to forget, for the more you look back to your old days of sinful habit, the wider the door is open for Satan to draw you back. Scholars used to resemble this case to that of gazelle being chased by hound. Despite that gazelle is naturally faster in speed, but its frequent looking back weakens its morale and makes it an easy prey for hounds.

Sheikh Ahmad Kutty is a Senior Lecturer and an Islamic Scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Source: www.islamonline.net 

Scholars interpret tawbah (repentance) to mean all of the following: (i) immediate renunciation of the sin, (ii) firm intention and determination to not return to the sin ever again, (iii) regret over having committed a sin, and, if the sin was against the rights of another human being, then one mast also, (iv) compensate for it.

These are known to be the conditions of tawbah, or repentance. However, in the words of Allah and His Messenger, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, tawbah has a wider meaning, and includes not only the aforementioned conditions, but also generally carrying out all the commandments of Allah with persistence. Tawbah also requires disliking and renouncing those people who refuse to repent, encouraging them to repent and advising them against ignoring the practice of repentance. So repentance is the opposite of committing sins in every way, and, in its general sense, does not consist merely of renouncing the sin and regret over it.

The word tawbah is like the word taqwa, in the sense that the latter is used sometimes in a specific sense where it means, "immediately stopping from disobeying Allah or carrying out an obligation." However, the actual meaning of taqwa is more general: "taking all that Allah has given us of wealth, children, security and pleasure and all else as a means to protect ourselves from what we dislike or fear in our journey to Allah." For this journey is full of pitfalls and replete with the enemies of our soul beginning with our own baser selves that incite us towards evil and unrestrained desires and ensnare us in the traps of Satan whose mission it to prevent us from this journey to Allah and make us return to baseness and ruin. The essence of tawbah is to return to Allah and to adhere to what He loves and renounce that which He dislikes. Tawbah is a journey from the disliked to the liked.

Istighfaar and Tawbah

Istighfar, meaning seeking forgiveness, is mentioned in the Qur'an in two ways: either by itself or coupled with tawbah (repentance). The single mention of istighfar (without the mention of tawbah) finds an example in the saying of Nuh(AS) in the Noble Qur'an:

"Seek forgiveness of your Lord, you all, (for) He is Oft-Forgiving: He sends the heavens over you raining;" [10:11]

And in the saying of Saleh to his people: "If only you (were to) ask Allah for forgiveness, you may hope to receive mercy." [27:46]

Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, also says: "And seek forgiveness of Allah, for Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." [2:199]

The mention of istighfar coupled with tawbah appears in the following verses: "Ask forgiveness of your Lord, then turn to Him; He will provide you with a goodly provision to an appointed term and bestow His grace on every one endowed with grace, and if you turn back, then surely I fear for you the chastisement of a great day." [11: 3]

"And, O my people! Ask forgiveness of your Lord (istighfar), then turn to Him (tawbah); He will send on you clouds pouring down abundance of rain and add strength to your strength, and do not turn back guilty." [11:52]

Istaghfar: not just cover up, but total removal of sins. Therefore, istighfar (seeking forgiveness) singly is similar to tawbah (repentance); rather, it is indeed repentance. Seeking forgiveness, moreover, fully removes the sin, undoes its effects and prevents its evil, and not merely hides the sins as some people have conjectured. For Allah may cover and hide the sins of those who seek forgiveness and even of those who do not; but istighfar is more than just a cover.

The essence of istighfar (seeking forgiveness) is that it earns one the prevention from the evil of the sin. It is in this meaning that istighfaar saves one from the punishment:

"And Allah was not going to send his punishment whilst they were asking for forgiveness." [8:33]

Of course, if one insists on sinning and demands from Allah forgiveness (without fulfilling its conditions), then this is not a true istighfar, and it does not prevent the punishment. Istighfar (seeking forgiveness) includes tawbah (repenting), and tawbah includes istighfar: each one is implied by the other in its entirety.

This comprehensiveness of the meanings of istighfar includes its meaning of asking for forgiveness as a shield or cover: cover from our human shortcomings and faults that are harmful and destructive. And the greatest and most harmful of all human shortcomings are his ignorance (of one's faults) and transgression. By virtue of this ignorance and transgression, the enemy drags a human being into what utterly destroys him. The shield against these two errors is to be aware of one's faults and be keen to bring out in one's character the God-given virtues of knowledge, justice and righteousness. The more a person ignores his human nobility bestowed upon him by Allah when Allah breathed into him His spirit (rooh), the more he lowers himself to the animalistic ground, and the most his ignorance and transgression are fuelled.

When the two words tawbah and istighfar are used together, (always istighfar followed by tawbah), then the first one (istighfaar) means asking for safety from the evil and harm of what has occurred, and the second one (tawbah) means returning to Allah and begging for safety from the evil of what one fears in future.

So here we are concerned with two things: one is the sin that has already occurred, and istighfar (in its specific sense) is to seek protection from its evil effects; and the other is the repetition of the same sin in future, which we fear, and tawbah is the determination to not do it again. A complete return to Allah (rujoo`) includes and necessitates both of these: istighfar as well as tawbah. When used in a couple, both aspects of this return to Allah are emphasized individually, whereas, when used alone, either one of these two words implies the other.

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